The Second Book
If thou be a young infant
And think the schools for to haunt,
This lesson shall thy master thee mark—
Cross-Christ[[179]] thee speed in all thy work.
After[[180]] thy Pater Noster he will thee teach,
As Christ’s own apostles did preach;
After, thy Ave Maria and thy Creed,
That shall thee save at doom of dread.
Then after to bless thee with the Trinity,
In nomine patris he will teach thee.
Then with Mark, Matthew, Luke and John
With thee Per crucis and the high name,
To shrive thee in general thou shalt learn
Thy Confiteor and Misereatur in turn.
To seek the kingdom of God, my child,
Thereto I rede thou be not wild;
But worship God, both old and young,
To be in body and soul alike strong.
When thou comest to the church door,
Take the holy water standing on floor.
Read or sing or bid prayers
To Christ, for all thy Christian confreres.
Be courteous to God and kneel adown
On both knees[[181]] with great devotion.
To man thou shalt kneel upon the one
The t’other[[182]] to thy self thou hold alone.
When thou ministers at the high altar [see]
With both hands thou serve the priest [reverently],
The one to stable the t’other
Lest thou fail, my dear brother.
Another courtesy I will thee teach:
Thy father and mother with mild speech
To worship and serve with all thy might,
That thou dwell the longer in earthly light.
To another man, do no more amiss
Than thou would’st be done of him and his;
So Christ thou pleases and gets thee love
Of men, and God that sits above.
Be not too meek, but in mean thou hold,
For else a fool thou wilt be told.
He that to righteousness will incline,
As Holy Writ tells us, well and fine,
Never go seek their bread shall his seed,
Nor suffer of man no shameful deed.
To forgive thou shalt thee haste,
To vengeance look thou come at last.[[183]]
Draw thee to peace with all thy strength,
From strife and debate draw thee at length.
If a man ask thee goods for God’s sake,
And thee want things whereof to take,
Give him debonaire words and manner fair,
With semblance glad, and pure good cheer.
Also of service thou shalt be free
To every man in his degree,
That one shall never lose for to be kind;
He who forgets one, has another in mind.
If a man have part with thee in gift,
With him thou make an even shift.[[184]]
Let it not hang in hand for glose;[[185]]
Thou art uncourteous if thou it does.
To saints[[186]] if thou thy gate[[187]] hast hight[[188]]
Thou shalt fulfil it with all thy might,
Lest God thee strike with great vengeánce,
And put thee into sore penánce.
Believe not all men that speak thee fair,
Whether they be commons, burgess or mayor;
In sweet words the adder was closed,[[189]]
Deceiving ever and mysloset.[[190]]
Therefore thou art of Adam’s blood,
Of words beware lest thou be wode.[[191]]
A short word is commonly sooth,
That first slides from a man’s tooth.
Look liar that thou never become:
Keep this word for all and some.
Laugh not too oft for no soláce,
Never for mirth that any man has.[[192]]
Who laughs that all men may him see,
A shrew[[193]] or a fool him seems to be.
Three enemies in this world there are,
That covet all men to forfare:[[194]]
The devil, the flesh, the world also,
That work mankind full mickle woe.
If thou may destroy these enemies three
Thou may secure of Heaven’s bliss be.
Also, my children, against thy lord
Look thou strive with no manner word,
Nor wager none with him thou lay,
Nor at the dice with him do play.
Him that thou knows of greater state
Be not his fellow in rest or debate.[[195]]
If thou be bestead[[196]] in strange countrée,
Search out no further than falls to thee;
Nor take no more to do in hand,
Than thou may have worship of all in land.
If thou see any man fall in the street,
Laugh not thereat in dry nor wet;
But help him up with all thy might,
As St. Ambrose[[197]] thee teaches right.
Thou that stands so sure on seat,
‘Ware lest thy head fall to thy feet.
My child, if thou be at the Mass,
That understand both more and less,[[197]]
If the priest read not at thy will,
Reprove him not but hold thee still.
To any wight if counsel thou shew,
Beware that he be not a shrew,
Lest he slander thee with tongue,
Among all men, both old and young.
Beckoning, fingering, none thou use;
And privy whispering look thou refuse.
If thou meet knight, yeoman or knave,
Hail him anon, “Sir, God you save,”
If he speak first upon thee there,
Answer him gladly without demur.
Go not forth as a dumb freak,[[198]]
Since God has given thee tongue to speak,
Lest men say to friend or gossip:
“Yonder is a man ne’er opens his lip.”[[199]]
Speak never wrong of womenkind,
Nor let it never run in thy mind.
The book him calls of churlish face
That oft of women speaks villainy base.
For all we be of women born,
And our fathers us beforn;
Therefore it is an unhonest thing
To do them any belittling.[[200]]
Also to a wife befalls of right
To worship her husband both day and night;
To his bidding to show obediénce,
And him to serve without offence.
If two brethren be in debate
Look neither thou further in their hate;
But help to staunch[[201]] them of uncharity;
Then thou art friend of both certainly.
If thou go with another at the gate,
And ye be both of one estate,
Be courteous and let him have the way:
That is no villainy, as men me say.
If he be come of great kindred,
Go not before though thou be bid;
And if that he thy master be,
Go not before for courtesy,
Neither in field, wood nor lawnd,[[202]]
Nor even[[203]] with him, unless he command.
If thou shalt on pilgrimage go,
Be not third fellow, for weal nor woe;
Three oxen[[204]] in plough may never well draw,
Neither by craft, right, nor law.
If thou be proffered to drink of cup
Drink not all off, nor no way sup;
Drink mannerly[[205]] and give again:
That is a courtesy, to speak in plain.
In bed if thou fall harboured to be
With fellow, master, or their degree,
Thou shalt inquire by courtesy,
In what part of the bed he will lie.
Be honest and lie thou far him fro;
Thou art not wise but thou do so.
With whatso man, both far and nigh,
Thee falls to go, look thou be sly[[206]]
To ask his name, and which he be,
Whither he will: keep well these three.
With friars on pilgrimage if that thou go
What they will observe, will thou also.
When at night thou take thy rest,
And bide the day as true man’s guest,
In never house where a red man[[206]] be,
Nor woman of the same colour certainly,
Take never thine inn for no manner need,
For those be folk to hold in dread.
If any in sternness thee oppose,
Answer him meekly, and make him glose;[[207]]
But glosing word that falséd[[208]] is
Forsake, and all that is amiss.
Also, if thou have a lord,
And stand before him at the board,
While that thou speak, keep well thy hand;
Thy foot also in peace let stand.
His courtesy needs must he break,
Stirring fingers or toes whene’er he shall speak.[[209]]
Be stable of cheer and somewhat light,
Nor over all wave[[210]] thou not thy sight.
Gaze not on walls with thine eye,
Far nor near, low nor high.
Let not the post become thy staff,
Lest thou be called a “doted daff.”[[211]]
Nor delve thou never thy nostril,
With thumb or finger as young girl.
Rub not thy arm, nor claw it naught,
Nor bow thy head too low in aught.
While any man speaks with great businéss,
Hearken his words without distress.
By street or way if thou shalt go,
From these two things thou keep thee fro;
Neither to harm child nor beast,
With casting, turning west nor east.
Nor change thou not in face colour,
For lightness of word in hall or bower;
If thy visage change for nought,
Men say thee: “Trespass thou hast wrought.”
Before thy lord no mows thou make,
If thou wilt courtesy with thee take.
With hands unwashen take never thy meat:
From all these vices look thou keep.
Look thou sit—and make no strife—
Where the host commands, or else his wife.
Eschew the highest place to win,[[212]]
Save thou be bidden to sit therein.
Of courtesy here ends the second fit.[[213]]
To heaven Christ grant our souls to flit!